Friday, October 1, 2010

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MATT CAIN!

Starting pitcher:
M.C. O'Connor

The Tennessee Stud turns 26 today. Matt is my favorite Giant. He's been a Giant for his entire career, signing as a 17-year old right out of high school. He was the team's first pick in the June draft of 2002, the 25th overall. Other notables from the 1st round of that draft: B.J. Upton (#2), Zack Greinke (#6), Prince Fielder (#7), Cole Hamels (#17), and James Loney (#19). Matt made his debut on August 29, 2005. Tonight will be his 170th start for the Orange and Black.

If the Giants beat the Padres tonight on Orange Friday, they win the West. I want that storybook ending--Cain wins on his birthday, capping his finest season with his biggest win. As JC said to me yesterday: "if that happens, you know the baseball gods are smiling on us." Too true. I'm a Giants fan, so I know the wrath of the baseball gods far better than I know their largess. And I've learned to expect nothing from them, those cruel and petty beings who mock me season after season. Nonetheless, I feel good about tonight. The team is smoking, our opponents are reeling, and Matt is pitching at the top of his game. The prize is there, me bucko, go out and get it!

I want to thank Mr. and Mrs. Cain for raising their lovely little boy and giving him to the world. I want to thank Brian Sabean & Co. for finding this thick-bodied country boy with the mighty fastball and making him a Giant.

And I want to thank you, my friends, for sticking with me and me mates as we've blogged the tortuous landscape of the 2010 season.

10 comments:

To Mark: I wish you a Matt Cain clinching win tonight - you deserve it!

To all of us: This has been a marathon, as are all baseball seasons - this season perhaps with a few more low lows & high highs. But, things seem to really been aligning in a 'magical, deep into the playoffs, who knows' kind of a way. I would love to see us wrap it up tonight, get a few people a little rest for the next couple of days, & blast our way through the post-season. What's more, I can see it happening.

What would be the most fitting way to win tonight? How about?:

- Matt goes 8 strong innings.

- With the scored tied in the bottom of the 8th, Torres gets a hit, steals second, & scores on a 2-out hit by either Huff or Posey.

- Wilson closes it out, naturally with a whiff for the 3rd out. Matt gets the win.

Remember, Mark does not like 1-0 games. I suggest:The Giants bat around in the first inning. The Panda hits a home run batting eighth and then Matt Cain blasts a solo shot because he does not have a home run this year. The Padres become dejected, start using substitutes in the second inning to get some youngsters some playing time. David Eckstein gets thrown out arguing strike calls on balls that the replay shows to be pretty much over the middle, and the crowd laughs at him. By the sixth, Adrian Gonzales has contacted his agent about free agency/offseason trades. Matt Cain pitches six innings, does not give up a hit but simply feels no need to finish out the game for personal glory. The relievers also do not give up a hit, no one particularly notices until after the game. The Padres watch, dejectedly, as the Giants celebrate in an exuberant, yet tasteful manner on the field. As much electricity and good feeling is felt in San Francisco as there was on <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SFN/SFN200210140.shtml" this night.

No one cares about my birthday...8( Oh well, Go Giants! The time is near at hand!

And what do you mean "one of the Anonymi?" I'm the guy that came here last Winter from out of nowhere, pledged my allegiance to the Giants, and I've been here since. What other Anonymous is there? They didn't draw you guys a picture (need to update that by the way, now I have a better understanding of Matt Cain's facial structure) I bet.

@ Anony: Way cool to have the same birthday as Matt! Hope you and Matt celebrate in style later tonight....with the NL West crown!!!

I can't express how wonderful it would be to clinch this baby up tonight. I don't trust the puds...if they sniff success we may be in trouble. TONIGHT...the best matchup of the series for us...Tonight.